1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of entertainment and games, and more particularly, to the field of games of chance. The present invention is relevant more specifically to the field of casino games and parlor games.
2. Background of the Related Art
Games incorporating elements of chance are well known. These games are known both in the context of casino games as well as parlor games. Games of chance generally revolve around the outcome or outcomes of some random or quasi-random event or events. These events have a limited set of possible outcomes, although the set of possible outcomes may be very large. Generally, game players attempt to predict the outcome of one or more events prior to their occurrence. Game winners may be determined by correctly predicting all or part of the outcome of the event or events.
Games of chance have particular application in the field of casino gaming. Casino gaming as used herein is understood to include gambling applications outside of actual casinos, for example, in locations such as bars, airports and the like which may have gambling. It is understood that casino gaming may include both table-based gaming, as well as machine-based gaming, including, for example, mechanical slot machine gaming and computer controlled machine gaming.
Well known casino games include craps, roulette, blackjack, pai gow poker, pai gow, the wheel of fortune, slot machines, video poker, keno, baccarat, mini-baccarat, Spanish-21, casino war, and poker. Also well know are games such as state lotteries and daily numbers drawings
The principal goal of games of chance are to provide entertainment. In the casino and gambling context, successful games attract and maintain the interest of players, thereby generating income for the casino or other game host. These games of chance ideally provide action and excitement for players, have relatively easy to learn rules which do not use complicated rankings of various outcomes (e.g., poker hand valuations), and permit a variety of different wagers to keep players' interest.
In order to create a sense of competition, and therefore excitement and interest, certain presently known games of chance determine winners by comparing the outcome of a player's event (such as the roll of one or more dice) against the results of a similar event of a “dealer” or other player.
One example of such a game of chance applicable in the casino setting is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,413,351, which discloses a dice game involving wagering on the outcome of a roll of three dice. One or more players place wagers and then roll dice against a dealer. Game results depend on the occurrence of a predefined set of outcomes and/or the relative values of the player's and dealer's outcomes.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,513,850 discloses a game in which a player and a dealer develop “hands” based on the outcome of one or more rolls of several dice by both the dealer and player. Game results depend on the value of the dealer's hand relative to the player's hand according to a predefined set of relatively complex rules.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,062,563 discloses a game in which a player and a dealer each rolls a set of dice. Wagers are made on the relative outcome of the two rolls. The player's dice ad dealer's dice may be differentiated from one another by color so as to avoid confusion upon each rolling his respective dice.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,695,193 discloses a game in which players play against one another or against a dealer. Game results are based on predefined combinations of dice outcomes Outcome combinations are compared to that of each player in turn and the combination with the highest value according to a pre-defined point values assigned to each possible outcome is deemed the winner.
Many players, however, seek to avoid confrontation and so disfavor games involving such inter-personal competition, even when such competition is against a casino as personified by a dealer.
Other presently known games attempt to create excitement by providing multiple wagering stages during the course of a single game. U.S. Pat. No. 5,513,851, for example, discloses a dice-based game requiring players to place at least one additional wager on at least one additional roll of several dice after successfully wagering on the outcome of a first roll of the several dice.
Still other presently known games attempt to attract players by providing a limited set of wagers which players may learn quickly. One such game is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,732,948, which discloses a dice-based game having a small set of available wagers. The outcome of the game is dependent on no more than two rolls of a pair of dice. The game may be terminated upon the occurrence of a pre-defined outcome during a first roll of dice, or upon the occurrence of certain outcomes of a second roll of dice relative to the outcome of the first roll the dice.
Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 6,234,482 discloses a multiple dice game wherein players' wager relate to the outcome of a roll of three dice without differentiation of three dice. Wagers are limited to wagers regarding the total of the three dice and/or the existence of two or three identical numbers being rolled.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,508,469 discloses a multiple-dice game wherein players wager on the sum of the outcome of two rolls of three dice each and/or on poker-like outcomes (e.g., three-of-a-kind, straights, etc.) without differentiation of the dice. Wagers may be made before the first roll and/or between the first and second rolls.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,209,874 discloses a three-dice game having dice of three different colors. Players are limited to six types of wagers on the result of rolling three dice. A first type of wager is on the face-up sides of a selected two of the dice being equal both to each other and to a number selected by the player. A second type of wager is on the face-up side of a selected one of the dice indicating a selected number. A third type of wager is on the face-up side of a selected one of the dice indicating a number that is alternatively higher or lower than numbers indicated by the other two dice. A fourth type of wager is on the face up sides of the dice each being equal to each other and to a number selected by the player. A fifth type of wager is on the face-up sides of the dice indicating numbers having a sum which is a selected total number. A sixth type of wager is on the sum of numbers indicated by the face-up sides of the three dice being alternatively an odd number or an even number.
Due to the limited scope of available wagers, however, these games may not adequately maintain the interest of players. Certain presently known games address this issue by providing more complicated rules. One example is U.S. Pat. No. 5,350,175, which discloses a dice-based game wherein players wager on the outcomes of successive rolls of several dice. The game terminates upon the happening of certain pre-defined combinations of outcomes of the several rolls of the dice. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 6,070,872 discloses a combination card and dice-based game which proceeds through three distinct phases of random card and dice events. These games, however, may present rules which are too complicated for a number of typical players to comfortably learn or understand.
Finally, several currently known games involve game play which does not adequately develop excitement for players.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,806,847 discloses a game wherein players wager on the outcome of a single event such as the roll of a pair of dice. Several pre-defined wagers are disclosed, such as the outcome of the event being included in one or more predefined sets of outcomes. The single event results in a final and unequivocal outcome of all wagers, and so players are required to re-wager after each event, and no wager relies on the outcome of more than a single event.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,378,869 discloses a dice-based game wherein players wager on the outcome of rolls of two dice followed by the roll of a third die. Disclosed wagers include individual wagers for each possible sum of the dice values as rolled, hi/lo outcome sets (i.e., wagers that the sum of the values rolled will fall within 4 to 10 inclusive or 11 to 17 inclusive) and odd/even outcomes.
Games of chance in the parlor game context may include simulations of casino gaming, as well as point driven and other games not directly related to gambling.
With these considerations in mind, it is desirable to have a game which provides action and excitement for players, has relatively easy to learn rules which do not use complicated rankings of various outcomes, permits a variety of wagers to keep players' interest and builds excitement throughout each game.